Any Alnico 2 fans out there ???????
I have recently been trying some A 2 pickups in guitars that have A 5 pickups in them, I am finding that the A 2's are less brittle and have a very very nice smooth fat tone, any one else been through this ?

Jeff, our paths have crossed before in our relentless tone quest and no doubt will continue as we are on the same path together, aint it fun , I always enjoy our discussions and appreciate your input, Quest on Bros. Right !!!!!
JLH

Yeah, I really like A2'a better for me at least. Their a few pups where A5's sound just as good to me, but I like A2's allot.

I have 2 sets of GW bridges one with an A5 and another with an A2 (covered). They are great in different applications, but I gravitate to the A2 sounds.

I also had a set of 57 classics that I loved, and I have a set of 2002 Burstbuckers that I thought were 57's and those are the best sounding burstbuckers I have ever owned and they have A2's.

I find the A5's to be a little harsh at times, but are great for some metal / rock stuff, but I am weird and like my metal tones with ceramics (a8) or A2's. I like the amp to drive the stuff and use different tunings. A2's tuned to flat for me is pure heaven.

I can ramble for days, but I will say it depends, but I like A2's better

I will measure a set, as I have a set of 57's, I did not know they ( Gibson 57 classics) were Alnico 2's. The Pro's are what got me into this mess !!!!!!, I had all A 5 pups and as Fixxxer decribed, are just a bit harsh sometimes
But it may take a day or two, someone else here know????????
I think that "hotter" is not what makes a good Alnico 2 Pickup, it seems that mid 8's DCR is what makes a good A2 pup -vs- high 8's amd 9's seam to make a A5 work, allthough over time, I have realized that hotter pickups are not what I like, mid to high 8's I am finding work best, let the amp drive the pickup

I will measure a set, as I have a set of 57's, I did not know they ( Gibson 57 classics) were Alnico 2's. The Pro's are what got me into this mess !!!!!!, I had all A 5 pups and as Fixxxer decribed, are just a bit harsh sometimes
But it may take a day or two, someone else here know????????
I think that "hotter" is not what makes a good Alnico 2 Pickup, it seems that mid 8's DCR is what makes a good A2 pup -vs- high 8's amd 9's seam to make a A5 work, allthough over time, I have realized that hotter pickups are not what I like, mid to high 8's I am finding work best, let the amp drive the pickup

Your going through everything I went through. I think it takes a while to really dial in an A5 pup. That is, when you are out at a friends house, if you play 2 guitars one wiht A5 and one with A2 you will need to change the presence (if you have it) trebles and mids, making it a nuisance if you are OCD about the tonal differences.

I find pups wound in the range you mention are my favorite, and cover EVERYTHING from blues to rock, to metal.

To compensate for a lack of A5, this is where an overdrive plays a more critical role. With an A2, get something with a nice midrange hump and you can mimic an A5 with an A2.......

Keep us posted with what you do...and BTW Gibson Alnico Pro's are horrible to my ears.... at least in comparison to SD's and boutique guys

Frankly, BurstBucker Pros should be banned. They aren't musical at all, They don't have a sweet spot, and you can't even hear any bottom end, which really pisses me off, being a LP lover. How good are SD Alnico II Pro's in a Les Paul? Anyone here know?

I just bought a SD APH1 uncovered Neck from Martin Six string for my 80 LP..

I should have it by Thursday so I'll post some clpis over the W/E

I A/B'd the II's and V's at used axe stores and the II's seemed warmer then the V's
with a more bluesy feel and more responsive when you roll the vol back to clean it up

you can get a nice warm skynrd type sound from them without too much aggresion or bite. and they still do chicago blues and countyr stuff on the clean side

I thought I had BB'1 in my 02 but just leanred last week that they are Pros.
I have a love hate relationship with them. the Bridge is over trebly but still sounds cool sorta 50's vintage with a good classic rock Free, Zep type tone with OD. but it has a bite/sizzle that bother me

and the neck is lil dark and a tad on the muddy side but at the same time the notes are diffinitive and fat

I cant figure those out but i dont plan on changing htem any time soon

The Duncan A2 Pros are great in a Les Paul, they really cut through the mix, I got a set of custom wound Alnico 2's patterned after the classic 57's from Kevin at Guitar Force, these are really really nice, WB is spinning me a set of Alnico 2's patterned after the Habebero's, I have a new favorite magnet, Alnico 2.
Ask Weldaar ( Flegler), I got him bit on these and now he is an A2 man, Hey,Weldaar: what do you think of the A2's

The Duncans (A2 Pro's) are very good pickups and if you can find a set on the shelf, its a no brainer !!!!!! Fat Ass Tone

This Rockdriver floored me. I still like the Rebel II bridge, but I am liking the RD too. They both have thick creamy mids, tight bass response, and sweet highs. Surprisingly for an A-5, the Rebel II is very middy, not harsh at all. I posted clips of the Rockdriver and Rebel II on Kevin's site.GUITARFORCE Custom Pickups

Just the other day I was having a discussion about magnet formulas. My friend said all the early 50's pickup magnets were Alnico 2's. That seem reasonable? Could be one of the reasons I prefer 50's P90's over anything else.

Dark is BAD, However, so is Tame, all the A2's I have now are BADASS, they are very smooth but very aggressive and cut through the mix, However, my Habeneros. that Will Boggs wound me are equally as aggressive, they are A 5's but the wind is so good they are also smooth.

I find the same is true with the A-5 Rebel II. Thick mids, tight bass, sweet highs.
Will's Firewater is also a thick sounding bridge pickup, as is Mark Robertson's pickups. Mark's are actually very syrupy, if that's a word.

I have talked to Kevin Taylor @ Guitar Force again concerning Alnico 2's, maybe I should check out the Rockdriver ?
Still looking far that perfect A2 pup, needs to be hot and aggressive, but smooth and defined, "kinda sounds like my bride" now that I read this back (LOL).
I am supposed to talk with Guitar Force tonight and try do define what I am looking for, Its the bridge pickup that is most important to me.

I swapped out the alnico 5 in my SD59 (the sound was too bright) for a alinco II. It made the pick smoother, it took the edge off but it still retained the highs. It is diffenitly an improvemnt. I like the sound of the Al 2 very much.